The Other Side
by Kuro Warau
Summary: If you knew it was the right thing to do, would you remove the blindfold and start the war?
1. Behind the Walls

**The Other Side**

_by Kuro Warau_

**Rating: **M

**Summary: **If you knew it was the right thing to do, would you remove the blindfold and start the war?

**Warnings: **AU.Non-con, also on minors. Sex slavery, mature themes, yaoi. Angst. Lemons. Do not read if you dislike graphic sexual or yaoi content. Do not read if you're underage.

**Pairings: **Kaname x Zero, Zero x Kaname mainly. But also many other pairings, including Rido x Kaname, Rido x Zero, Rido x Yuuki, Takuma x Kaname, Aidou x Kaname and Shizuka x Ichiru. There will be other pairings, I'm just mentioning some of the ones mostly influencing the story.

**Disclaimer: **Vampire Knight, together with all characters do not belong to me. They belong to their creator, Hino Matsuri. I'm only borrowing them with great affection for entertainment reasons. I'm not earning any money on this fanfiction.

**Author's Notes: **This is the first time in a long time that I've managed to write anything I'm actually satisfied with. It's not the first time I've tried writing fanfiction off a manga, but I have much more time now and would like to start afresh and make them better.

The names I use are the Japanese names altogether. But everyone can just call them and write their names in any way they'd like. I also use Japanese honorifics, as in Kaname-sama, Zero-kun and so on.

In case it's not clear, the first part is all a flashback, while the text in italic after the break is present time.

Also, I'm sorry for the weird summary, it was actually a line that popped into my head on a holiday and then I wrote it on my phone and slowly developed the idea for this story. I hope you enjoy it! Reviews are most appreciated. They motivate me and I love hearing your reactions.

**Chapter One: Behind the Walls**

"Here Yuuki, let me help you," Kaname offered, bowing down to help the little girl get into a jacket and some shoes. She looked questioningly up at him, her brown eyes shining with worry and confusion. "Where are we going?" Her high, baby-alike voice sounded out of place, coming from the small, determined and anxious face.

"We just have to get ready for leaving, in case mother or father decides to go somewhere safer," Kaname tried to explain, determined to sound cheerful and uncaring in order for him not to frighten her even more. Once he had clothed his little sister in the winter clothes she'd never had to use before, he settled with her on the couch, clutching her tightly to his chest. She was not yet frightened, only confused and worried. "Outside? A-ah… But mother and father say I can't go outside," she said, unsure about something so new and possibly dangerous.

Kaname just held her tightly, trying to ease away her confusion and worry. His eyes glowed red in rage. But also in… bloodlust? _Blood. There's blood in the air._ Kaname's pureblooded senses easily picked up on the small change in smell. Yuuki noticed it too, her little body beginning to shake in his arms, sending spikes of guilt to his heart. In the following minutes, the scent washing down over them in waves, sending both of them into bloodlust, but also worry and fright.

"It's alright. I'll stay here with you. It's going to be alright," Kaname kept saying, repeating his own words again and again in a desperate attempt at making her calm down. It didn't help. The scent of blood scared Yuuki, it made her feel unsure because the scent was something she knew well, even though she could not place it. _Not Kaname. Not father. Not mother either._

"It hurts me to see you this scared," Kaname finally admitted, still holding her tightly against his chest. "I've been too absorbed by happiness. But don't worry. I've decided that I will take you somewhere safe." Her small body was still shaking in his arms. He was frightened himself, he didn't know what to say anymore. He just wished he could have protected her better. Yuuki literally trembled with fear.

Suddenly, her brother's melting embrace changed to a tight hold, his arms stiffening with the sudden blow of air and scents. She felt he was watchful now, his ruby eyes scanning the walls, searching for sounds or scents. She tried catching up with him, but couldn't understand what troubled him.

A second later, the door blew open, revealing that it was not only Rido the children had to fear. "Who?!" Kaname's voice cut through the air like a blade, at the same time as he stood up in a rush, shielding his little sister behind his back. Her small, frightened scream echoed through the room for a second, then fell silent.

They were dressed all in black, but Kaname could see their red eyes peeking out through the darkness of their hoods. His own eyes had reddened as well, his fangs extending drastically while an animalistic hiss found it's way past his lips. All of the figures immediately took a step back, cautious, their eyes fixed on him more than her. He may only be a boy, but he was still an enraged pureblood, protecting his sister with power they could not hope to match in a fair fight.

"What do you want?" Kaname hissed, his eyes ferocious and his sharp canines glinting in the unusually sharp light of the basement rooms. He didn't understand what was happening. Nobody was supposed to know of Yuuki's existence apart from him and his parents. Not even the servants of the Kuran Estate were trusted highly enough to be let in on a secret of such dimensions.

But these nobles clearly had known exactly what they were looking for and where they had to look. How was it possible that they knew of Yuuki? Why was he made to stand up to these frightening strangers alone? Where were their parents? The questions circulated in his head, made him confused and unfocused. Not much, but enough for it to be a fatal mistake.

Instead of answering his questions, all of them simultaneously bowed down, curling together into an attack position. They clearly were trained in what they did. They were not yet attacking, but Kaname soon realized that they were spreading, in order for them to be able to corner him and Yuuki up. He quickly took the two steps back that would insure that Yuuki stayed safe, being protected between Kaname's back and the far end wall.

Ever since her scream, Yuuki hadn't made a sound, standing quietly in fright and shock behind Kaname, unsure of what was happening or what she might be able to do. Now she cautiously peeked out behind him, watching the dark shadows move closer and closer. She could feel the frustration that seemed to emanate off her brother and out in the room.

When they had gotten as close to the children as a meter, they stilled, as if they were waiting for Kaname to make a move. Then suddenly, they flung into action, attacking like a group. The first one launched for Kaname's leg, which he just had to time to pull back. Before he had time to settle, others attacked from the opposite side. They kept reaching out and Kaname had no way of keeping track on all of them.

What was most important of all was to keep by Yuuki's side. If he could just manage to keep her behind him, he could protect her and that was what mattered most to him. He did not care if he got hurt, as long as he was able to stand up, what mattered was protecting her.

He had to use his hands, counterattacking by swinging his deadly talons through the air in the same height as the figures' throats. He took a step forward, trying to get a bit closer in order for him to be able to take down some of his opponents. He hissed at them, hoping to scare them off, or at least give him a second to find a better technique.

He took a step forward and bowed down, turning into one big ball of enraged pureblood not to be fooled with. Kaname took off with his foot, launching forward and finally managing to bore his nails into flesh. He pulled out shortly afterwards, hissing deeply as he made ready for repeating his actions. Then, all of the nobles stood up at once. Kaname turned around, startled and unsure of what to do. His sharp eyes immediately looked for Yuuki and realized the trap.

He had been fooled away from her side, and when they stood up, it made it hard for Kaname to see her. It froze him for a dangerous second. One of the nobles grabbed his arm, trying to pull him towards the others who stood there, waiting for him. He managed to pull away, Kaname taking up the fight once again, trying to fight his way through the group of nobles to reach Yuuki in time.

"Kaname!" Her scream stopped him dead in his tracks. He was close enough to see what had happened and it filled him with dread. How dared these insolent nobles lay a hand on her? Yet, the fear filled more in him than the anger. He tried reaching her, her frightened small eyes holding his while those monsters lifted her from the ground and flung her over the shoulder.

An infuriated hiss sounded and Kaname rushed forward, not having eye on anything else than freeing Yuuki. Unfortunately, the nobles saw the small glimpse of unawareness lurk in Kaname's eyes, swinging into action. "Yuuki! L-let me go!" Kaname tried twisting out of the hand holding onto his wrist, but the second he succeeded was a second too late and another hand grabbed his other wrist.

Suddenly five different pairs of hands held onto him, making escape close to impossible. He continued struggling though, fighting against the ruthless hands that kept holding onto him. Then, he felt them press a cloth down over his nose and mouth. The cloth gave off a sweet scent, almost like roses, and it dulled his mind instantly. He only got time to understand that it was drugs they forced him to breathe, while his eyes slowly slid up to Yuuki's, seeking her gentle, but frightened gaze before he drifted off.

Juuri's dress danced in the air, in the same way as the rage burned in her eyes. How dare Rido – just calling that bastard her brother was an indignation to herself and Haruka she wouldn't even think – to show up here, as if he was expecting to be let within the walls of her house once more? Never again would she make the huge mistake of believing she could trust Rido because of family relations or fake, sugar sweet words.

Haruka seemed to be in an equal state of mind. His eyes were steely. "I see you were able to escape from the Council's clutches… brother." The word rolled off his tongue with disgust. One of the only things all purebloods could agree on was that the Council was ridiculous. But even over that, there were different beliefs. Some saw it as a necessary controlling force to keep the lower classes in check, others saw it as a power resource and then, there were the families who wanted to get rid of them entirely.

Rido clearly thought that if he "befriended" them, he could control them, which would grant a lot of power. It was unmistakably true, but most other purebloods found it below their status to befriend foolish nobles who thought they had any say in purebloods' businesses.

"You shouldn't underestimate the Council. They're a group of lower beings who'll dance on your orders because they're afraid of getting devoured. Not only by me, but also by the other councilmen who're just waiting for a chance to get higher up by stepping on someone else," Rido smirked, eyeing the mansion with eyes that clearly searched.

"We want no dealings with the Council and I thought we'd made that clear for both them and for you. Now be gone." Rido's smirk only got wider at Juuri's attempt of defying him. She had a burning fire that he liked, but she and Haruka were in his way. And Rido had learned long ago that trusting anyone would only lead to being let down. Real love was an emotion that had been extracted from his being long ago. He desired Juuri, but wouldn't let her get in the way.

"I don't think that's any appropriate way to address your brother. Think about… your children…" Rido's voice spoke volumes. "And the Council…"

Rido had planned it well, a frightened scream cutting through the air just as he finished. No doubt it was Yuuki and it sent ice running through Juuri's and Haruka's veins. The most frightening and horrible thing for a parent is to know that their children are hurt or in danger. It was obvious that Rido had only acted as a distraction, drawing their attention away from Kaname and Yuuki while the Council encircled them.

"Yuuki! Kaname!"

Kaname awoke slowly. His eyes regained focus slowly. The ceiling came into focus slowly. At first he was horribly confused and disoriented. He didn't know where he was or how he'd gotten there. He was lying on a soft couch and looking into nicely made golden swirls decorating the ceiling. It was fine craftsmanship.

Kaname slowly sat up and looked around. His senses had already informed him that he was alone and that it was daytime. But the light didn't bother him, there were no windows in this room, from which he concluded he was in a basement. At first he was confused, but then, in a horrible rush, his memories of what had happened just before his mind went blank returned. _Yuuki. I have to find Yuuki._

He practically ran out the door and then stopped in absolute confusion in the hallway. He knew this place. He hadn't been here before, but he knew the scent and the portraits on the wall. His parents had forbidden him to go close to this house, and he'd been quick to agree. He didn't like this scent, it stung in his delicate nose. Not because it was hideous, far from it. It was delicious, but it was full of memories.

His senses alarmed him a second before he heard the door open in the other end of the hallway. Cold dread washed down his back. Should he fight? The person or persons had clearly both seen and sensed him. How could he find Yuuki? What if…?

"Kaname-sama," the man greeted respectfully. "If you'd please follow. Your uncle wishes to see you and I am sure you'd like to see that your sister is well." Kaname looked suspiciously at the noble, but then decided he'd better follow, if there was even the smallest chance that this man would take him to Yuuki.

Kaname gave the noble hidden glances from time to time while they walked. The young pureblood was sure that he'd seen him before, although he wasn't sure where. Most nobles, he knew from soirées. Then, there were the noble families with children around his age that Juuri continuously tried to pair him up with, but in vain.

"It's in here," the man announced and opened the door for Kaname. It kind of bothered him how polite and respectful this vampire seemed. It was, without doubt, the right way to be acting from someone of his status compared to the pureblood, but Kaname had thought he was held prisoner and he was confused by the gestures.

"Brother!" Yuuki's cheerful voice sounded, cutting through all of Kaname's worries. She came running towards him and he bowed down to greet her with open arms, holding her as close as possible. She looked thankfully unharmed, although a bit startled and confused.

"She's so young. Perhaps she will at some point be able to work as a replacement but as she is now, she's useless to me." Rido's eyes were dull, almost disappointed. He looked genuinely uninterested in her, giving Kaname a slight hope. Yuuki didn't seem to understand what he meant and just stared up into his mismatched eyes with curiosity and fascination. At the end of the day, she was, after all, only a five year old girl.

Rido was sitting comfortably on a soft couch, his eyes observing the two children interacting. His eyes dwelled on Kaname and the younger pureblood noticed. "Kaname, come over here. You can talk with Yuuki later."

Kaname slowly went up there, more out of fear of what would happen if he didn't rather than lust to find out what his uncle wanted to say to him. On a wink with the hand, the nobles left the room and pulled Yuuki with them, which almost frightened Kaname the most.

"Kaname, don't be worried about Yuuki," he remarked when he saw Kaname's worried gaze. "I won't harm her. Or you, when speaking about it. Her parents… became a hindrance for me. So I disposed of them. But you're far too powerful for me to ever want any harm to befall you before you're fully grown. And there was no reason for me to touch their precious baby girl." His voice darkened for a second before falling back to his mildly cheerful pitch.

"So I've decided to take you into this mansion, where you'll both live from now on. She'll get a better life here, away from all the political tensions her parents created with the Council. So, I've been really nice to you, haven't I? Don't you think I deserve something in return?" A small smile played in the corner of his mouth.

_Kaname's breathing increased. His body was stirring on the white bed, his hands grasping the thick wooden frame. His own blood and sweat mixed together as the red liquid slowly slid down over his sweaty skin. Rido had never directly said that these nobles were allowed to take his blood, but he must know about it and made no objection, apart from reminding Kaname once again that unless otherwise specified, the young pureblood took tablets only._

_Kaname's back ached. He could feel himself getting closer to a finish and learned in closer against the blond noble above him. They finished together._

_Aidou Hanabusa lay down next to the pureblood. "What's master doing? He hasn't been outside his rooms for two days again. Do you know anything, Kaname?" Kaname sighed. Aidou was a good friend, but he pried a bit too much in Kaname's private life and worshipped Rido a bit too much. _

"_You're never allowed to see master's favorite." It was a standard response, he knew that, but what else was he expected to answer? He knew Rido had his favorite in the small west tower, he'd built that tower just for his favorite. Kaname wasn't sure if it was a lover or a slave. No one was._

"_I don't want to see him. I'm sure he's some stuck up kid who thinks he's something special because master likes him the most," Aidou mumbled, quite obviously jealous and Kaname gave him a half-concealed smile. He shared the noble's ideas of what kind of person Rido's special someone was, but he didn't share his friend's lust to replace that person._

_Ever since that snowy night ten years ago, he hadn't been lusting for anything. He was like an empty shell. He had friends and he had his sister, but still no one to talk to. He was the only one Rido mistreated and that was only because he refused to bend under the elder pureblood's will, as everyone else did. _

_After the murder of Yuuki's parents, society was turned into what might look like the perfect combination of old pureblood traditions and new council government. A society where power was concentrated on a group of nobles known as the Council, but where the ultimate decision always would be made by Rido, in all the matters where he bothered making a decision. Yuuki was his very spoiled niece, and he made it look like Kaname was a spoiled nephew. But Kaname couldn't and wouldn't directly either forgive him or bow to his will and so, his uncle always terrorized him. Truthfully, if Kaname had put any hope into the thought that he'd be treated better if he behaved, he'd have done it._

_But he knew Rido enjoyed mistreating him. In the beginning he resisted wildly, but he had become docile over the years and now volunteered of own free will to go to bed with Rido when his uncle wanted it. At least it felt good. When Rido decided to play out some more wicked games on him, Kaname just had to bite his teeth together and accept it._

_Rido enjoyed messing with his mind and it worked well. One second, he was incredibly sweet, got Kaname gifts and let him spend time alone with Yuuki. Then suddenly, he changed character. Kaname mustn't do anything wrong and if he did, it was because he was a worthless boy who didn't pay attention to anyone or anything. And when Kaname was such a bad boy, how should Rido then be able to allow his nephew to be with Yuuki unobserved? Or to go out in town? _

_It turned Kaname mad slowly, but it wouldn't have been that bad if he had anyone to talk to. It was just hard to find someone in this new world who wouldn't report right back to Rido if Kaname ever dared say anything negative about the "master" of the house._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_To be continued…_

**A/N: **_If any of you are wondering why the characters behave or think slightly differently from their original manga-counterparts, it's because, while they were still born into the same world, they've experienced ten years that are radically different from those ten years in the manga. So while they're still the same personalities, their behaviors are painted by the circumstances they live under. _

_Kaname, for instance, has lived ten years of being repressed and held down by Rido and as such, have learned what things he shouldn't say or do, very much in the same way as he learns to deal with the Council in the manga. Yuuki, instead of being insecure due to missing memories, has spent ten years on the apex of vampire society and therefore, she has a confidence and a "purebloody" behavior she lacks in the manga. On the other side, she has been overprotected and hidden away and thus she, to a certain length, lacks sense of reality and of the world outside._

_The only character who doesn't have the big changes in personality is Rido because, let's face it, he pretty much behaves like he's the ruler of the world in the manga too xD_


	2. Behind Closed Curtains

**The Other Side**

_By Kuro Warau_

_**A/N:**__ The first chapter moved pretty slow, but I hoped that this chapter would give a clearer picture of what's happening, although many parts of the plot has yet to be shown. Still, I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter!_

_**Warnings for this chapter:**____Non-con, rape. Violence. Yaoi. _

**Chapter Two: Behind Closed Curtains**

Kaname settled with a book in the living room as he used to when breakfast was over. That way, he could keep an eye on everyone while hiding a bit in the corner of the room. Yuuki was in the midst of laying a puzzle at a great table, when she suddenly decided she wanted some midnight tea. She jumped up towards the kitchen door, turning around in the doorway.

"Would you like some tea? I want cinnamon tea," she declared with a big smile. Kaname looked up from the book, casting a short glance towards Rido. Only after checking that the elder vampire remained silent, Kaname answered his sister's question. "Yes, please. Cinnamon is fine by me." Kaname never did anything in Rido's presence without checking that his uncle made no objection first. Never said anything, never did anything. He was convinced that many of the B and C servants in the estate felt the same way, respectfully obeying even the smallest wink from their master.

Yuuki disappeared to get the tea and warm the water. She was different from everyone else, in Rido's eyes. Juuri's daughter, a living goddess almost. With her, he was different than towards everyone else, calling her _beloved niece_ or _my love._ Kaname hated it, but Yuuki loved the attention and her brother made no objection for both of their sakes despite his repulsion.

"No, you don't want tea," Rido half-hissed without even looking up from his own book as soon as she had disappeared in the doorway. "Tell her, you don't want tea." Kaname knew better than to even question Rido's decision and just resigned himself. It was always easier to obey than take the fight and end up in trouble. Especially in such an indifferent matter. "No, thank you, I don't really want anything," Kaname called to his sister.

"Why not?" she asked, immediately reappearing in the doorway. She had an unused teabag in her hand. Rido, who had up until now remained unmoving, looked up from his book with an irritated scowl directed at his nephew. "You're so weird. You don't have any idea what you want. Do you want tea or not?"

"Yes please," Kaname answered hesitantly, in a small, confused voice. He hated when Rido called him things, especially if Yuuki was present, because she sometimes took the words in and used them against her brother later, not really aware of how degrading it actually was. She said it out of fun, so Kaname couldn't be mad at her, but it nevertheless irritated him.

"Would you like me to make some other kind of tea for you?" Yuuki asked caringly, but shaking her head in confusion meanwhile. She turned around quickly to check the array of different teas. "Cinnamon is fine. Thank you, Yuuki," Kaname answered and saw his sister give him an encouraging smile before walking out to make two cups of cinnamon tea.

She had barely disappeared before Rido stood in front of the younger pureblood, his hand squeezing Kaname's wrist hardly and painfully. He bowed down, their faces inches apart. "I told you that you don't want tea. Now, you'll do as I say and tell her you don't want that tea. Understood?" he hissed dangerously, releasing the wrist and walking back to his own chair.

"I don't want tea after all. I don't want anything, Yuuki," Kaname obediently shouted to her, well knowing what would inevitably follow now. Yuuki reappeared in the doorway, this time irritated and even more confused. "Please stop mocking me. It's not funny, Kaname," she said, leaving for the kitchen with a resigned sigh of frustration.

"Stop mocking your sister!" Rido said from his chair, reaching over to give the younger pureblood a hard slap across the face. "Don't pay attention to him, Yuuki," Rido shouted out to her. "He enjoys messing with everything! Go to your room then, if you can't figure out how to behave like an adult."

Yuuki, who hadn't heard the last order, came back to a deserted living room.

Kaname smacked the door behind him when he entered. He hated Rido and his pathetic mind games that always managed to get him. It was perfectly horrible and the worst part was that Kaname knew what would happen now.

He laid down on his bed, breathed deeply and focused on the sounds in the hallway. His pureblooded hearing allowed him to hear most of what happened around the house, and it was this ability that he now relied on. He could hear servants walking through a hallway some stairs below and knew that Rido soon would come and get him.

Kaname could remember Rido doing such things to him and with him ever since he came to the mansion. In the beginning, he had thought it disgusting and wrong, but had since grown into an almost non-caring object for his uncle. Providing release for Rido was more intimate than Kaname's other duties, but apart from that, it was just like everything else.

Kaname had a nagging suspicion that most others at the estate saw it that way too, apart from a few of them, those like Aidou who adored Rido to pieces. Kaname's uncle had strict rules in his house that he expected everyone to follow, but he also enjoyed indulging in the pleasures of the flesh with most around him. He had very few, if any, problems with moral and good behavior and encouraged those around him to act in a similar way. Sometimes. Rido didn't take it lightly if anyone did something he hadn't planned or wouldn't like. But as long as he was in complete control, he didn't mind having a household build around pleasures.

The entire show had simply been a way to get Kaname alone in his room, like always. It was nothing new that Rido enjoyed adding insult to injury. The young pureblood could sense his uncle's sneaking steps in the hallway and then, his door opened.

Rido's smirk was plastered all over his face, but else he made no comment about his little game. He simply gestured for Kaname to prepare himself.

"I have reports for you, my lord." Rido's eyes tiredly slid down the first page. Such a waste of time. He had other, more important things to do and if something in the report before him was important, Ichiou would point it out for him. "Anything else I should know?" he asked in annoyance, obviously not in the best of moods. He enjoyed doing Kaname or others, but he hadn't had the time to go visit his special hobby in days and it annoyed him.

"Hmm, perhaps. Cross is apparently preparing new weapons to be made of the Mother Metal," Ichiou said, from his respectful, standing position. He should have been the leader of Vampire Society, being the head of the Council, but he was satisfied with being Rido's right hand man. It kept both him and his family safe, it gave him power and money.

Rido gave him a disinterested glance. "Why should I be worried? Three years, Ichiou. Three years and not a single attempt to defy me from the hunters' side. Well, Cross would if he could, I'm sure. I dislike that guy, but at least he had good taste in women. But it's his right hand man that solves my problems and you're well aware of that." The noble nodded.

Cross was only an official leader, too unpractical and too strange to successfully get the hunters' full respect. His right hand man was their true leader. It made them, at first view, more of a threat to the rule of the vampires. Their true leader wasn't as soft or emotional as Cross, he was a practical man with a full hate of vampires and admired by the hunters.

He would have posed a great threat for the Council and Rido's reign. He had, up until three years ago. "The hunters will not pose a threat, as long as I have my little ace," Rido concluded grimly, finally gesturing for Ichiou to sit down in a nearby chair. "Kaname's letters?"

Ichiou immediately handled three envelopes to Rido, who checked the addresses. One for the Ichijo estate, two for the Aidou estate. Rido handled the one assigned for Ichiou's grandson back to the noble and opened the two others. After a few moments, he smiled in satisfaction. "Good boy. He doesn't dare to do anything but obey. Still… he's a Kuran and he was old enough to know what happened to his parents. I'm not slackening on him. I want you to continue having a couple of councilmen spy on him. I want to have full surveillance. I want to know who he sees, when he does it and what he talks about with them. Is that understood?" Another silent nod in confirmation of the order received.

"Nobles? Any new requests?" Rido asked casually, closing the letters and putting them back in their envelopes, ready to be transported on. He always read Kaname's letters, mostly because he could, but also because he wanted to be sure that he still had his nephew on a short leash. "… No, Rido-sama. The noble children currently in the estate, will stay for the next week at least. But… a request has arrived…"

"Oh. Who wants to join my little court here?" he asked in a playful tone, sipping the glass of blood wine by his side. He always had such, it took his stress and helped him relax. When no response came, Rido's eyes wandered to the noble's face. He looked troubled to say the least, obviously about to tell something that wouldn't please his lord. "What? Who wants to?"

"… Rido-sama… it's your son… he has requested that you will grant him permission to… He wants to be engaged to Touya's daughter." Ichiou almost stepped back during the silent second before the storm, while Rido drew breath to speak. He could feel the pureblood's aura turn black and fall over the room like a dark curtain.

"What?! Such a common harlot?! How dare he?!" Rido raged, but then fell silent. He learned back in his seat, breathed deeply a couple of times, thought things through and, judging by his facial expression, found a satisfying solution. When he spoke again, his voice was controlled, cool and smug, almost over-bearing. "Alright. He is, after all, young and foolish and he did consult me. I'll look kindly on the girl. Just let Senri know that I don't think she's a fitting alliance to make."

"Yes, Rido-sama. You don't have another in mind though, do you?" Ichiou asked quietly, sipping his own wine tentatively. The pureblood shock his head. He expected for his family to either intermarry or at least marry other high pureblooded or noble families. He couldn't expect to marry his son to a pureblood, since he was only a half-blood, but he wanted a noble from a high family.

"Now, you've troubled me enough with your trivial affairs. I trust you to always do what's in my best interests. But right now… I'll go play." Rido's voice was playful and slightly lusty. Truthfully, he trusted no one, especially not council people. In his eyes, they were just a bundle of foolish children, fighting over who should have the biggest piece of the cake. Ichiou nodded again.

"Till next time, Ichiou," Rido remarked, stood up and went for the door. "Oh, and Ichiou… I want you to send a request to the Touya family. I want them to send their daughter to my court."

"Checkmate," Kaname said non-chalant. He didn't sound pleased, but not dissatisfied either. Yuuki looked disapprovingly at the chess table in front of her. "You're cheating!" she declared shortly afterwards, obviously not satisfied with being beaten again. Kaname gave her a soft smile and then stood up to leave.

Yuuki still had a childish, soft side to her that Kaname adored to pieces. It shone through, mostly when they were alone or only with Rido and she was comfortable. Although she had been living in a glass cage for ten years, she still had, more or less instinctually, developed a pureblooded personality, façade and grace. And, in contrast to Kaname, she loved displaying how special and different she was, much like Rido enjoyed doing it.

"Where's uncle Rido?" Yuuki asked without looking up at him, still buried in the complete mystery of how Kaname had beaten her once again. Kaname hesitated with his answer. He hated when Yuuki called Rido _uncle_. He couldn't blame Yuuki herself though, she had only been a child, unknowingly watched the scary scenario played out in front of her, before being taken over by Rido's distorted dream.

Rido had taken both of them in after their parents' _suicide_, like the good and caring uncle that he was. Little Yuuki, who hadn't been old enough to fully understand the horrible things she'd seen that night, barely recalled anything in present day. It was as if she had blocked most of her memories both about that night and about her parents.

Kaname, on the other hand, remembered all too vividly. But Rido had silenced him immediately and he knew that if he ever dared raise his voice, it would be worst for himself, and for Yuuki too. Kaname had been imprinted this so many times that both he and Rido were confident in the knowledge that he would always resign himself and allow Rido to control everything, be it the house, the people living there or vampire society as a whole. Rido didn't allow Kaname to have a say in any aspect of how he ruled or what he decided. Technically, it would have been possible for Kaname to gain authority and power by simply speaking up, since he was a pureblood too and thus, had the power to make lower classes obey him, but he would never risk Yuuki, the only pure thing left in his life. And even she was, at least partly, soiled by the vampire king.

Furthermore, Rido had, long ago, made sure to threat or hit all such thoughts out of him. Kaname had understood that it would be wisest to resign himself and pretend like he was happy living a retired life in Rido's mansion, just like Yuuki. She didn't really remember a different life than one of constant surveillance. She had long ago accepted all the restrictions Rido had placed on both of them for the sake of their _protection_, such as how they never were allowed to be together with anyone their age without Rido's knowledge and accept, that they were always to be accompanied by some men of Rido's choice when they left the estate and that they constantly needed to ask Rido permission about everything they did.

"He's in his office, Yuuki," Kaname answered flatly, brushing off her questions of when he'd return. When Rido was with his special someone, no one could say how long he'd stay or in which mood he'd leave the place. He could stay there for hours from time to time. No one but him was allowed to see his special someone, not even the maid who brought food up there. Kaname knew she left it on a small table and then Rido would take it in himself or allow his special person to get it.

All information about this person was kept on an absolute minimum by Rido and all the information that Kaname had, he'd gotten because he made friends with the girl, Souen. He wasn't much to admitting it, but she really was in love with him, judging from the looks she sent him. However, he wasn't interested and even if he had been, Rido would never have allowed a relationship between his pureblooded nephew and her. She had very pure blood, but her family was a junior branch of the Aidou family and Rido didn't like such things.

Kaname wasn't interested in anyone, at least not anymore. There was a time when he was flirting rather flamboyantly with Ichijo Takuma, but he had discovered that although Takuma certainly returned interest, he was also sent out by his grandfather to spy on Kaname. And the pureblood once again had no one to trust, as he still made friends with Takuma, but now no longer had any feelings for him.

He was engaged to his sister, and had settled with being satisfied with her. He truly did love her, but more in the usual kind of way one would love his sibling. And he didn't mind being without someone special. The last thing he needed was more weapons Rido could use against him.

A pale hand lay slack, hanging out over the edge of the soft canopy bed, white silk accentuating the pale, greyish-white skin tone. His breathing was hurried, tense and nervous, although his body was slack and unresponsive. The vampire king towered over him, licking blood off his fingers slowly, a smile playing tentatively in the corner of his mouth.

Rido pulled him up by the hair, turning him around by force. He couldn't even hold himself up, what would have eased the pain in his head a little. Tears gathered in the corners of his eyes in response to the rough treatment, but he just clenched his eyes and teeth and refused to give away his pain. Begging earned him nothing more than additional humiliation either way.

"What? Still silent?" Rido asked playfully, running a bloodied finger along the boy's lower lip. He met a hard, unbending and determined pair of lovely silvery-lavender eyes. The boy knew he might as well save what little of his pride he could, since, if Rido couldn't be rougher on him as punishment for being rebellious, he'd just be rougher as punishment because of some other disobedience.

Rido learned down closer, pressing his hard body up against the vampire in front of him, reminding him in just what position he currently was. He felt all the boy's muscles tensing beneath the skin, but else, his body remained slack, inevitably. It was kind of boring actually, Rido would rather have him resisting, shouting and fighting to shove the pureblood away. But to overpower him, it had been necessary to tame him with charms, which sadly left him unable to move or speak for a few minutes.

Apart from being the ace up Rido's sleeve when it came to controlling the hunters, holding them off and making sure they behaved, the boy was also Rido's preferred toy and he was never quite sated with anyone but him. He could treat him as he liked, no one came to check on him unless specifically told to, and even then, it was only a couple of hand-picked nobles.

The ex-human stirred on the bed, a sure sign that he was regaining control over his muscles one by one, although he tried to appear slack and motionless. If he could just pretend that he still were bound down by the hunter charms… just a little longer… As long as he couldn't move or speak properly, Rido usually let him be and waited, simply because it would be no fun if he wasn't screaming or begging.

Rido's eyes slid over the body underneath him, sizing up the amount of control the ex-human currently had, then proceeding to make a security check, just to ensure that the boy was simply being defiant and resisting. The pureblood let a hand slide down the ex-human's pants, watching in satisfaction how the boy's body jerked in disgust.

The ex-human turned around, hiding his body from Rido as well as possible, trying to cover himself up just slightly. By now, he knew better than to downright defy Rido, but even after three years, he hadn't given completely up, hadn't surrendered completely in his tormentor's arms. His mind was still rebelling, still refusing to bend under the pureblood's craving hands, even though his body often broke.

He hated himself a tiny bit more every time he ended up surrendering his body to Rido, every time he broke down and cried or begged, every time he caught himself doing anything to avoid a beating. He couldn't forgive himself that he so often ended up breaking down, virtually begging for it to stop. But he could even less forgive himself when he ended up begging for another reason entirely.

He hated that Rido completely controlled his body, a control determined by the pureblood's mood. If he was in a bad mood, he ravaged the ex-human's body until blood poured out between his legs, tears sprung in his eyes, he screamed himself hoarse before breaking and begging for the pureblood to stop, which he close to never did either way. And if he really pulled out, it was only to give the boy a solid beating for daring to "demand" anything.

If he, on the contrary, was in a sadistic mood instead, he prepared the ex-human before taking him, he caressed, licked, kissed and touched until the boy was one heaving mess of sobbing, craving misery. Until he cried in frustration over being denied release, until he gave himself up completely, did everything Rido asked him to if the pureblood would just grant him release… And then, inevitably and unavoidably, breaking down all over again and hoarsely begging for release, begging to be done, begging to be touched, begging for anything that Rido told him to beg for.

Rido learned down all close, pulling the boy closer, until he had him in the right position. On his stomach, between the pureblood's legs. He made no vocal objection, silently hoping that if he could just manage to appear cold or emotionless, then perhaps, just perhaps would Ri…

A strangled cry escaped the ex-human's lips when the pureblood entered him dry. He must be lusty today, usually he loved savoring the build-up, the opening minutes where he drove the boy's fear higher and higher. But today, he just wanted a quick round apparently. Rido penetrated the skin on his neck at the same time, licking the blood up that escaped down his neck. The boy bit back the wave of nausea that always ensued when the pureblood took his blood. It was disgustingly intimate for a vampire and an act he certainly hated to share with Rido.

The pureblood took him hard and violently, thrusting ruthlessly between his aching legs, riding him with sadistic glee. Rido's fingers dug into his arms, his fangs left marks and blood trails all over the ex-human's skin, and he felt himself tearing open inside. A disgustingly soft, wet sound emanated from his insides as they were forced to give up space that didn't exist.

But they always were, it was a mystery to the boy why his body hadn't naturally adapted and created the space needed. Three years had passed and he'd lost count of how many times Rido had raped him long ago, but it still hurt horribly, especially when the pureblood was this rough. Absentmindedly, the ex-human wondered if anything bad had happened in Rido's businesses, and this simply, as always, was his way of dealing with anger or stress. It wouldn't be new if this was the case.

After finishing, the pureblood had calmed considerably down, but it didn't automatically mean less hurt. Much more often, it meant the exact opposite, when Rido wasn't unbearably lusty, having quenched the most crushing urge, he could better concentrate on being cruel.

The boy's eyes darted around the room, searching for something to distract himself with when Rido turned him around on the bed and claimed his lips, almost crushing him against the mattress under the pureblood's weight. The room was kept in soft, dark colors, comfortable for vampiric eyes, even during the day. Dark curtains refused to let any day light escape into the room. The window was, all in all, pretty unusable either way, always covered by a thick curtain and with thick iron bars over it from inside.

Rido had gotten them installed shortly after he'd placed the ex-human in the upper tower, cut off from the rest of the world, isolated to a point where he hadn't spoken to anyone but Rido for years. He occasionally saw a glimpse of others when he'd looked out the window, but no one had ever seen him. Even if he knocked harshly on the glass, he was too far up for anyone down on the open area in front of the house to hear his knocking. The windows could be opened, but with the bars blocking, the boy's hand couldn't reach the locker anymore.

It was his own fault that he'd ended up like this, completely locked up with no hope of escape or even a hope to escape his fate. When he'd just arrived, he'd been filled with the wish to either escape or die trying, he'd right away started entertaining the thought about the possibility of jumping out the window and hoping that his newly turned body would be able to take the fall. Either that, or that it wasn't at all strong enough and he'd be crushed against the stone pavement below. But he'd been weak, too weak, and hadn't been able to do it after all.

That was before Rido began showing him just what he intended to do to and with the ex-human. At first, the boy had thought he should act as a punching bag and a blood donator. He couldn't make himself jump out of a window down onto hard stone at least five stories below, even if his body hurt considerably after a beating.

After having toyed with the idea for a couple of weeks, when Rido forced himself on him in a new way entirely, he acted on instinct, very nearly throwing himself out if Rido hadn't collected himself enough to act and saved the ex-human, although one such word was badly fit the situation, pulling him back and giving him a massive beating, the harshest he'd ever gotten. The day after, the pureblood installed the loathed bars to make sure he'd never be able to try such a thing again.

Apart from the lavish bed, the room was sparsely decorated, with a small couch, mostly for Rido's use though, and a small table for placing the trays of food that was brought up once a day. There was also a small drawer used for quite other things than clothes, but apart from that, the room was barren. To the small area there was also a small bathroom.

He hadn't stepped foot outside this enclosed space for three years, his last glimpse of that forbidden world had been Rido pulling him up the stairs by the hair, dragging him along and throwing him inside the room. Sometimes, if he put his head up against the wood of the thick door and listened carefully, he could hear the footsteps of someone outside the door. On multiple occasions he'd tried calling for that person, but no one answered.

Rido seemed to be done playing with him, at least for the moment, and he went to pick up the tray. "I'm tired of watching this, do you understand that? If you aren't going to eat the food I bring up to you every day, I might as well stop. Would you like me to do that?" the pureblood asked in irritation, glancing impatiently at the tray.

The boy remained silent, uncomfortably shifting to make the pain in his groin seem less bad. His body was covered in welts, but the bluish marks were just forming beneath the skin.

"No… I wouldn't do that no matter what. I want you and I'm not letting go of you. And I'll make you eat this even if I'll have to shove it down your ungrateful throat. Do you understand that?" Rido concluded smugly, placing the tray back on the small table. He was tired of the boy's resistance. He knew he had the boy in his power and could do as he pleased, but if he was too rough, his ex-human body couldn't take it. In that, Kaname's body was much better. His body wouldn't suffer any long-lasting damage no matter what Rido did.

And that pureblooded boy was completely in his power too. He had long ago seized all resistance, figuring out that it would be better to be submissive and humble. And in difference to the untrustworthy nobles who'd probably drop all of his secrets the moment they had been exchanged with others at his court, Kaname would never get out and thus, he didn't have a chance of spilling any secrets.

The boy watched in confused silence Rido almost storm out the door, barely having time for locking it after himself. He didn't understand what the pureblood was up to, storming off so quickly. The ex-human knew better than thinking Rido might be done with him for today after just one round, but hoped he might have remembered some urgent paperwork that he had to do. He hid as well as possible under the duvet on his bed, hiding his naked body from the world, ashamed as always of what he'd become.

He'd almost drifted off into his dreams of times long gone when the door was slammed open again, jolting him awake. It was a dreaded sound, so well-known, telling him to get up and not lay half-asleep on the bed, Rido's for the taking.

"What's this?" a voice sounded, sounding more startled than interested. The unexpected voice completely jolted the boy wide awake, being so different in tone than the only other voice he'd heard for what felt like centuries. But even though it intrigued him, fascinating, new and different as it was, cold dread sat like a knot in the ex-human's stomach, telling him to be aware of this new person. His heightened senses bombarded him with information, both the side that was a vampire and the side that was a hunter.

It was a male vampire, of high status, probably a pureblood, although the ex-human wasn't completely certain because of his distracted and hurt condition. He was younger than Rido, although something ancient and refined seemed to linger about him. But the boy remained with his head pressed into the sheets, holding futilely onto the sheet, fighting to cover himself up from any prying eyes. No matter what kind of twisted game Rido wanted to play by presenting this person to him, he wasn't buying it.

Kaname hadn't known what to make of Rido's sudden demand to follow without explanation. But he'd wisely chosen to follow immediately and obediently, not asking questions, the way he knew Rido liked it. He hadn't understood where they were going or why they had to hurry that much until he was practically shoved inside. The room he found himself in looked like a lavishly decorated hotel room if there had been more furniture. His eyes wandered from corner to corner once, before he adjusted to the darkness and noticed the figure in the bed.

Completely covered in sheets and with the head buried in pillows, the only thing visible on the ex-human was the strange, compelling silvery hair, barely visible from Kaname's position. He moved closer, wanting to get a better look on the boy who he had guessed was Rido's favorite. Judging by the room, it could easily by a lover, but the bars he noticed in front of the windows, the thick, constantly locked door and the sheer secrecy of everything didn't fit with that description.

Rido moved closer too, standing by the bed and looking down at the figure with a slight smile. "This is Zero, my little favorite treasure. He's your responsibility now." With that said, the elder pureblood pulled the sheet roughly away, exposing the ex-human's bare skin and Kaname almost stumbled back in shock.

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_To be continued…_

**A/N:**_ If any of you are wondering why the characters behave or think slightly differently from their original manga-counterparts, it's because, while they were still born into the same world, they've experienced ten years that are radically different from those ten years in the manga. So while they're still the same personalities, their behaviors are painted by the circumstances they live under. _

_Kaname, for instance, has lived ten years of being repressed and held down by Rido and as such, have learned what things he shouldn't say or do, very much in the same way as he learns to deal with the Council in the manga. Yuuki, instead of being insecure due to missing memories, has spent ten years on the apex of vampire society and therefore, she has a confidence and a "purebloody" behavior she lacks in the manga. On the other side, she has been overprotected and hidden away and thus she, to a certain length, lacks sense of reality and of the world outside._

_The only character who doesn't have the big changes in personality is Rido because, let's face it, he pretty much behaves like he's the ruler of the world in the manga too xD_

_Also, I wanted to lay focus on how different Kaname and Zero have handled being suppressed by Rido. While Kaname has sacrificed his pride to be able to save his personality and character, at least most of it, Zero has done the exactly opposite, protecting his pride well, but ending up very tense and untrusting because of the constant brutality. I hope it makes sense xD_


	3. First Encounter

**The Other Side**

_By Kuro Warau_

_**Warnings on this chapter: **__Angst, hurt/comfort and sexual content. Yaoi, at least implied although, I'm not really sure when it's categorized as implied._

_**A/N: **__I really hope you are enjoying the story so far. Besides, I hope the thing that happened to cause all this can be slowly revealed, a little more in each chapter from now. And I hope I'll be updating again shortly. I haven't been much active in VK fandom recently, due to RL. I hope I'll be able to continue this story at a more reasonable pace._

**Chapter Three: First Encounter**

The boy in front of Kaname now looked like a mirror reflection of a nightmare. He was deadly thin. Every bone was visible under the pale skin, even the muscles stood out and looked stretched and misplaced on the slender body. Up and down legs and arms, bloodied bite marks made a small pattern in between the bluish marks. The boy's joints stood out like big, misplaced normalcy of the simple reason that bones and joints were some of the only things not to shrink no matter how starved he became.

His face was what drew in Kaname's attention the most. His cheekbones stood horribly out and the skin looked as if it had been stretched out over the bones. His lips were dry, cracked and bleeding from bite marks. Kaname could see half aroused fangs in the boy's half-open mouth. His eyes were big and shining in a most beautiful, but unusual color. To say that he had dark circles under his eyes didn't even begin to cover it, it looked more like the entire round area around his eyes was darker than the rest of his face. It was hallow and he had a haunted look in his eyes.

To crown it all off, short hair in an unusual silver color fell down over his face in ruffled waves. He looked dirtied and ruffled, but also incredibly beautiful and appealing. Right under his right eye, a bluish mark appeared, indicating that he'd been brutally hit. Other indications of such a beating were sported out across his chest and naked legs.

The boy sat up, pulled the legs up under him, hugging them tightly and looking down to his hands. It was clear that he tried to look as if he was in control, while still protecting himself from the purebloods' gazes. Kaname stood a few meters away, shaken to his core and unable to move forward. He had expected to see a beautiful vampire, who, at most, had a reserved or distant look about him due to being Rido's. The creature in front of him was in a state so much worse than his worst suspicions that it completely overtook and frightened him.

Rido however, seemed used to the boy's state and impatiently shoved Kaname forward, prompting him to do something. The younger pureblood took a few shaken steps forward, then looked over at Rido for further instructions. "He's your responsibility now, Kaname," Rido repeated, continuing when his nephew gave him a questioning look. "I want you to feed him and clean him off for me. Don't you dare speaking of this to anyone, neither inside nor outside the house. Do you understand your duties?"

Kaname grimaced slightly. He hated when Rido charged him with _duties_, he detested the word. Rido had placed many _duties _upon him during the years, both regular duties like looking after his sister or taking care of younger guests in the house, and more disturbing duties, such as dressing in a special way on special days and granting Rido release in his body. But no matter what _duties _Rido would have him do, he would do it. He would endure and pull himself together in order to hold on to what was left of himself inside of himself. "Yes, I understand."

"Good. He might be difficult to get to eat, but I then expect you to force it in him. If he becomes thinner, he'll break too easy." Rido's tone was uncaring, as if he wasn't talking about a living person who sat right next to him, but about a piece of furniture. Kaname suspected his uncle thought of the boy as he thought of most. That they were slaves living only for the sake of pleasing him. Just with this boy, he seemed to be more extreme in his way of being pleased.

Rido had turned to leave, apparently wanting his nephew to make the boy eat what was on a small tray standing beside the bed. "Oh, and Kaname? If you dare lay a hand on my property, I'll make sure you will regret it dearly. Zero's mine and if you dare think otherwise, it'll be worse for yourself."

Kaname sent a dark glare after his uncle for a second, but then the boy on the bed drew his attention once more when Rido was out of sight. He remained silent in a closed-off position, not even looking up at Kaname. The young pureblood learned in over him, lightly trying to tug his hands away from his knees and make him open up.

Despite appearances, the boy named Zero was far from weak and Kaname had to lay strength into it to be able to pry him open. When he finally succeeded, Zero sent him a long, hateful glance and then looked down to the ground. He was apparently braver, or at least more daring, when Rido wasn't near him. Kaname felt the lust to demand of him to sit still, but figured that if he had to take care of Zero from now on, he better not build such a relationship of fear. He wanted to show that even though the boy clearly already knew that Kaname was a pureblood, he wasn't like Rido who probably hit and raped him.

The pureblood sat down on the bed next to Zero, reached for the tray and gently placed it in his lap, trying not to spill any of the water in the glass. Unsure of what to do now, since it seemed very unlikely that Zero would ever move out of this position without encouragement, or perhaps even force, Kaname settled with trying to talk directly to him.

"I'm Kaname. Will you please turn towards me? Rido says you don't eat on your own, is that true?" Kaname asked first, trying to make Zero see that the pureblood in front of him wasn't a threat. The ex-human just sent him another glare, true hatred burning in his gaze. "… In that case, I'm forced to feed you by hand. I don't want to get in trouble because of a stubborn ex-human," Kaname mused, not used to being treated coldly or with disdain by anyone else than Rido.

When Zero still made no move or answer, Kaname lost his patience with this impudent boy who clearly didn't know his place on the vampires' social ladder. Here, a pureblood offered help and support and then he just stuck up his nose? It was just before the pureblood began thinking that perhaps, the beating that he'd obviously gotten not more than a day ago was his own fault entirely.

"Listen up, ex-human. Now, you turn around and face me, else I'll show you that it's not only Rido who can be a cruel pureblood," Kaname threatened, pulling in Zero's arm to make him turn around. "Do you understand?"

The threat seemed to jerk Zero out of his frozen position, but even though he turned around to face Kaname, he still didn't say a word or look at him with anything but endless hatred. The pureblood decided not to mind it, instead picking up a mouthful and guiding it to the ex-human's mouth, making sure he made it clear what he wanted Zero to do. The ex-human made no move to open his mouth though and simply kept staring.

Another long, uncomfortable silence followed, where Kaname wished he would make a sound, but where it became increasingly obvious that he wouldn't. Kaname decided to calm down and try to befriend the ex-human instead of forcing himself on him, as Rido did. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you can feel I'm a pureblood, but I'm not like Rido. Please… Don't force me to force you."

The ex-human stared at Kaname for so long that the pureblood almost gave up the struggle, but then slowly, very slowly, he opened his mouth and allowed Kaname to feed him by hand. Still guarding the pureblood with a suspicious gaze, the ex-human slowly got through his meal, although he from time to time made sure to show obvious signs of distaste that Kaname made sure to ignore.

When he had finally fed the ex-human the last of his food, Kaname awkwardly fell silent, unsure of what to say. He wanted to express his feelings towards Rido, but kept his tongue. What if the ex-human would tell Rido what he'd said? He couldn't run that risk. Rido undoubtedly already knew how much Kaname despised him, but he would either way be punished severely for speaking about it to anyone.

"What's your name?" Kaname asked, wanting to just make the ex-human say _something _even if he already knew the boy was named Zero. He wanted to hear his voice, wanted to hear what he sounded like. Would his voice be low and hoarse like most level D's and E's Kaname had encountered? Or would it be as silky smooth and beautiful as the pureblood thought, judging from appearances?

"You know already." The ex-human's voice cut through the room, icy cold, yet smooth and unintentionally seductive. He turned towards Kaname, revealing beautiful eyes in an unusual silvery-lavender color that had been hidden by his long, drooping eyelashes when he looked down. "I'm Zero. Did you get it this time?" he asked in a would-be mocking tone if he'd had more breath and sounded less fragile.

"I just wanted to hear it from you. I'm sorry if I offended you. Do you want a tablet to finish? I noticed you didn't get any, but I have some in my pocket," Kaname explained, reaching for his vest that he had left on a nearby chair when he went to sit down next to the boy. For a second, Zero's eyes stared at the small box Kaname pulled up, but then, his eyes withdrew their intense stare and he looked away.

"No. I don't want your filthy tablets," he declared shortly, stood up as best he could and moved to get a kimono that lay deserted on the floor. Just because this pureblood suddenly came barging into his life, thinking he could come with his kind words and lovely tablets, it didn't mean Zero would buy it. "I haven't ever drunk blood," he explained, almost triumphantly, when he pulled his arms through the sleeves and covered his body in silk. That the pureblooded bastard looked unintentionally disappointedly at the kimono when it covered Zero's nudeness didn't inspire much trust either.

Why should Zero suddenly trust this total stranger, just because he seemed genuinely kind? Besides, apart from the suddenly disappointed glance, after Zero's last comment, he seemed nothing but confused. "Never? But won't you go mad if you don't get any?"

Zero allowed himself a mocking sigh at the confused and uncomprehending look in the pureblood's tone and eyes. "As if I'd ever do something so disgusting. Rido doesn't give me tablets because he doesn't want me to break any more glasses," he explained in a condensing tone, as if speaking to a stupid child, which wasn't far from his view of Kaname at the moment. _A pureblood, a natural leader of vampires, completely resigning himself under another vampire, his mother must be ashamed._

Kaname remained silent to the only half-concealed insult. He could easily read the message in the boy's eyes, and even if it was true that he'd resigned himself under Rido, he still felt too good to be taking such a stupid fight with a mere ex-human. He might be under Rido, but apart from that, he was above everyone else in vampire society. Rido's nephew, the son of Kuran Juuri and Haruka, the heir to the Kuran family, the spouse of Kuran Yuuki… He was a natural born king of vampires, not a mere ex-human pet. This impudent boy could just as well have been his than Rido's and even though he fully intended to be polite and friendly, he also intended not to let the stupid little ex-human forget for as long as one second that Kaname was a prince of vampires, whereas the boy was a servant. The majority of vampire society, the common vampires, was better than Zero, but much below Kaname, and the ex-human better remember his place in the presence of a pureblood.

"I see. You might as well drop that kimono again. I'm intending to wash you," Kaname explained, making his voice gentle and inviting while making sure to give a clear message of who was in charge. He wanted to be a kind master, but a master nonetheless. It gave his long-abused pride a push upwards to know that he had full authority over this ex-human, to know that Rido was accepting that Kaname commanded him around.

Fixing the pureblood with a long, cold glare, Zero slowly let go of the kimono and let it slide down his body to end up in an unceremonious heap on the floor. He went to the bathroom without sparing the other man a single word and closed the door behind him.

Rima clutched the bag in her hand tightly, following the boy showing her way to the inside of Rido's house. He was a noble, like herself, a high-classed vampire who could easily manipulate humans or even lower classes at will and who bowed to no one but their single superiors. These superiors were few in number, scarcely spread and mostly unimportant in the collected picture of vampires, apart from here. It was a strange fate that nobles should always flock around the only ones who could command them, but it was seen as a great honor to live in the Kuran mansion.

It was more of a giant estate than a mansion though, decorated in an old-fashioned but elegant way. The house was a gift from Haruka and Juuri, as a congratulations-gift upon Rido's engagement to Hiou Shizuka. It was huge and luxurious, even more so than the typical noble estates. The furnishings were done in a typically Victorian style, with huge mahogany doors and lots of porcelain sculptures. Kept in dark tones to suit vampire eyes, the main hall in three levels offered an impressive sight, while the rest of the house continued the style of comfortable elegance.

A side door in one of the many hallways opened, showing Kuran Yuuki in a wine-colored nightgown and with her hair still mussed from the pillow. Although purebloods were expected to appear more in control than the half-dressed, slightly unobservant look she was sporting now, it had grown a habit because she put little consideration into such details and because Rido let her get away with it. When Rido hadn't made an objection to how she from time to time displayed herself in front of the nobles, no noble was foolish enough to take it up with her. The two nobles in the hallway merely bowed respectfully until she had passed them.

When she was safely out of hearing range however, Rima turned to give the boy a confused look. He understood the hint and explained as well as possible. "Yuuki-sama believes that although her uncle holds servants in the house, this still is her home and therefore, she can freely walk around as she pleases. Rido-sama lets her do it, so it'd be wise to oblige if not her then him," he explained quickly, continuing down the hallway with Rima in tow.

"Neither Rido-sama nor Kaname-sama ever show themselves that way, but since Rido-sama lets Yuuki-sama do it, we all simply put up with it, even though it is a major breach in etiquette. And about the natural safety of her… anyone who dare as much as irritate her will be punished severely by Rido-sama," the blond noble finished quickly, not keen on having to talk of Kuran Yuuki's safety.

It was common calm and sense that purebloods shouldn't display themselves in a half-dressed state, even going as far as showing obvious signs that they had just awoken, thus, may still be slightly sluggish in their senses. It was almost an open invitation, signaling that this pureblood might be an easier target than else. And although no noble or common vampire, respectful and humble towards the purebloods as they were, could ever dream of trying to force a pureblood to give up their blood against their will, it nevertheless awoke basic instincts in them that were hard to control.

Rima followed the blond noble in silence, wondering absentmindedly what kind of relationship Kuran Rido had with his niece. It was obvious, not to mention well-known in vampire society, that Kuran Kaname was a calm, charming and intelligent young pureblood, who definitely carried on after his parents with their pacifistic ideals and appropriate demeanor, while his sister was just the opposite; impulsive, childish and often a tad cruel towards the lower classes, although she had a kind heart. Most nobles didn't understand why Rido preferred his niece of the two.

The pair had reached the last door in this hallway, a huge mahogany one like the others in the house, but this seemed even bigger. "He's waiting for you, Touya-san," the boy assured her, giving her an encouraging smile before turning to leave. No doubt he knew, just like she did, what Rido wanted.

Rima stood still for a few moments outside of the impressive door, slowly fingerling with the black lace that adorned the outer edges of her old-fashioned, long-sleeved blouse. It was not that she was afraid of entering, as she rarely held fear for anything, more was it the uncomfortable act of having to downright knock, thus, making it look like she was the one coming to him.

Finally, she gathered her courage, raced her delicate hand and placed a loud knock on the wooden door, the sound seeming to echo throughout the hallway. A muttered permission to enter from the other side of the door encouraged her and she stepped inside cautiously.

Rido was laying on his bed, between pillows and duvets, the room being illuminated by countless candles instead of electric light. The candlelight glowed in the mosquito net that hung around the bed, although Rima doubted it had anything to do with insects, judging from the delicate patterns in the net and from the way it was made to lay over the bed, giving the entire room a sort of sensual touch, although she could easily see that it wasn't used mainly as a room for Rido to receive his "special" visitors, since there was also a bookcase and a small sofa with a table in the background. She supposed he used it for relaxing too, although there was no denying it had a distinctive touch of lust about it.

"Rido-sama," she greeted him, bowing respectfully while he rose from the bed to go stand behind her. Absently, she wondered if he did this merely to make her fine senses go into overdrive. No vampire felt comfortable with having someone behind their back that they couldn't see, but it would be disrespectful to turn and face the pureblood when he was obviously studying her.

Placing his hands on her slender shoulders from behind and learning down to brush his lip against her earlobe, Rido let his dark aura fall like a black curtain over the room, almost sealing the two away from the rest of the house's busy schedule. "Touya Rima. Do you agree?" he whispered silkily in her ear, slowly letting his hands slide down to rest on the sides of her upper arms.

"… Yes, Rido-sama. I agree." She turned around slowly, feeling his lips nearing hers, as he started loosening the delicate buttons in her blouse.

Kaname tapped his fingers against his own lower arm, impatiently waiting for the sound of running water to cease. The boy had been in the bathroom for half an hour now, and Kaname was fairly sure that he only spend so long time to purposely annoy the pureblood, making him feel slightly stupid for not just barging the door open and demand that the ex-human stood out, dried himself off and feel lucky he didn't tell Rido how much water he'd wasted.

"Aren't you done soon?" he asked in a voice a tad sharper than he'd intended. He'd already grown accustomed to how Zero never responded unless forced to, so he didn't get as annoyed at the silence that followed as expected. He waited for another two minutes or so before the water was turned off, then, in a matter of seconds, the door opened and the ex-human stepped out, slowly drying his hair off with one towel, while trying to hold on to the towel wrapped around his waist.

Kaname observed him in irritated silence as he dried his body off and slid back into the kimono. He still had some red bruises covering his back, but apart from the redness and swelling, he looked far better now that the blood was washed away. Although he was bruised and still horribly thin, actually looking slightly anorexic, he now looked more like a living being.

"I'll comb your hair," Kaname said, picking up a brush nearby and gesturing for the ex-human to place himself in a chair so the pureblood didn't have to bow down. The boy did as requested, letting the towel fall down and reveal the striking silvery hair. The bangs were long enough to reach down between his eyes, but apart from that, his hair was fairly short, but graceful. Kaname combed through it slowly, enjoying the sensation of the hair sliding between his fingers. He used to comb Yuuki's hair when she was younger, but now she usually let the servants do such things.

"How… how long have you been up here?" he asked cautiously, suddenly sure that the boy would shout at him for daring to ask such a question. He could understand if that would be his reaction though, Kaname himself wouldn't have liked to be asked such a question if he had lived under the circumstances this boy apparently had.

Zero didn't shout. He didn't even glare. He just froze where he sat, not moving a single muscle, not saying a single word. Kaname could understand that he had asked a question that was so hurting and unacceptable that he didn't even get angered over it.

Kaname cautiously continued combing through the hair, the room silent and the atmosphere heavy. After a couple of uncomfortable minutes spent in silence, he broke it, unsure what else to do since the boy looked like someone who could be silent for hours on end. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that. I was just curious when you said that you had never had any blood or any blood tablets. I mean… curious as to when you became a vampire."

Zero gave him a cold shoulder and refused to make a sound, much less an explanation. "… Please answer when I ask you a question, _ex-human_," Kaname said, putting emphasis on the last word. The boy turned to him slowly, his dull eyes locking with Kaname's and piercing him with a cold glare. "I didn't hear you asked me a question, _pureblood_," he retorted without even blinking.

"I asked you when you became a vampire, although I know it might be a sensitive subject," Kaname stated, absentmindedly wondering if the ex-human had been without company for a little too long. He wasn't used to be treated so badly by anyone but Rido, and certainly not someone from such a low class. It was natural that they show him respect, they shouldn't refuse to answer his questions and, first and foremost, they shouldn't obviously defy him.

The ex-human turned his head slowly towards Kaname, a half-amused, mocking smile forming on his lips. "No, you didn't. You said you were curious when I said that I never had gotten any blood or tablets. You asked me nothing," he concluded in a mocking tone, almost as if he was explaining a pronunciation mistake to a child who was learning to talk.

That tone was just the last straw for Kaname. He raised his voice, letting his aura fall down over the room, exposing the ex-human to what it really felt like when Kaname unleashed his powers. "Behave, _ex-human_, or you'll regret it!" he hissed, his eyes obtaining a deadly red tone for just a second. But apparently, it was enough. The ex-human suddenly looked fearfully up at him, a much more innocent, frightened look in his eyes now than the mocking glimpse before.

The sudden change in look to such a frightened little face immediately softened Kaname's heart. His eyes gentled and he pulled his aura back and once again concealed it with his mind, making it lay only closely around himself, undetectable to others. He sat down by the ex-human's side, gently placing an arm around his shoulders, no matter how disgusted Kiryuu looked over being touched so intimately. No doubt was he relating every touch from a pureblood to Rido's touch.

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to people behaving rudely towards me. You're the only one, apart from Rido, that I've met who would ever dare," Kaname smiled a gentle smile, meant to lift the mood, but it came out sad. He wasn't pleased with his pureblooded nature like his sister was. He saw it only as a heavy burden, but a burden he'd learned to bear.

The ex-human remained silent, but accepted the arm, not pulling away and even learning a tiny bit into the embrace. It was only barely, but it filled Kaname with weird emotions. Emotions he had no words to express. Not feelings of love or devotion, the boy in his arms was a complete stranger to him, but protective feelings for someone who had been hurt in much the same way as himself, just so many times worse. He wanted to protect this ex-human from any more hurt, even when he knew it was a hopeless wish to have.

Before long, the boy had fallen asleep from exhaustion and Kaname gently carried him over to the bed, pulling the covers over him. The pureblood was unsure what to do. He should just leave and tell Rido what he had done, but he couldn't tear himself away from the image of that peacefully sleeping face. He wanted to stay and watch it forever.

Kiryuu looked so different when his face was relaxed in peaceful sleep. When all the mocking and the anger and hatred disappeared from his face, he was very beautiful, albeit thin as a skeleton. His cheekbones were clearly visible, which gave him a bit of a ghostly touch about him, but apart from that and all the small rifts, he looked like a fallen angel, wrapped in the wine-colored sheet. Kaname sat quietly by his side.

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_To be continued…_

**A/N:**_ If any of you are wondering why the characters behave or think slightly differently from their original manga-counterparts, it's because, while they were still born into the same world, they've experienced ten years that is radically different from those ten years in the manga. So while they're still the same personalities, their behaviors are painted by the circumstances they live under. _

_Kaname, for instance, has lived ten years of being repressed and held down by Rido and as such, have learned what things he shouldn't say or do, very much in the same way as he learns to deal with the Council in the manga. Yuuki, instead of being insecure due to missing memories, has spent ten years on the apex of vampire society and therefore, she has a confidence and a "purebloody" behavior she lacks in the manga. On the other side, she has been overprotected and hidden away and thus she, to a certain length, lacks sense of reality and of the world outside._

_The only character who doesn't have the big changes in personality is Rido because, let's face it, he pretty much behaves like he's the ruler of the world in the manga too xD_

_In this chapter, the focus was on how Kaname and Zero's first meeting go, both how they start off extremely hostile but also how a little thing changes a lot. I hope next chapter will be out soon! *sweatdrop*_


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